basic pairs

none of my knitting right now is particularily challenging. i have been keeping simple projects with me, and have finished two very basic pairs of socks.

  a friend on ravelry kindly helped me identify this yarn. it's by reynolds yarn, and is called "swizzle". it's been in my stash for quite a bit, and i don't even remember how it got in my stash (meaning, i didn't buy it). but for mindless knitting, this yarn was wonderful. and, after knitting it up, i really like the pair. i wore them before i took the picture too (thus, this is a picture of dirty socks!).

  this other pair is knitted with craft store yarn (i think it's called "serenity sock weight"). it was on sale for $3/ball, and i had a gift certificate =) it's a blend of wool, bamboo, and nylon. i have knitted some other socks with a similar blend, and i'm thinking of using these leftovers mixed with the other leftovers for a pair of "monster socks" or "stashbuster spirals". the colors may end up looking like barf, but i'm okay with that.

and, i am actually knitting a pair of socks for SKA's october sockdown. one of the challenges is to knit with a self-striping yarn, using a pattern that accentuates the striping. this pattern is called bremen muster. the pattern is more of a recipe, which is just fine with me.

 

the yarn in this pair is the same as the gray ones above (the wool, bamboo, nylon mix).

slacker II

wow, i don't think i've ever skipped an entire month before ... there is a first for everything!

i have some finished pairs to share here. august was my "finishing" month. each august, i take the time to rescue some of my sock orphans, and complete as many pairs as i can. last year, i completed 10 pairs. this year, not quite so many.



this first pair is called  Linaria Bipartita Socks by Hunter Hammersen. i had started them last january, and then got sidetracked. the yarn is dream in color smooshy. my ravelry page is here. i think they're crazy pretty, and it's a shame i didn't finish them sooner. i think part of the reason i waned on them was the knitting experience. the pattern is easy enough, but there was a "shift" sometimes when there was a cable manuever that occurred when changing from one round to the next.

also, i knitted them with my signature dpns. they're very nice needles, but they are WAY pointy. they're probably my pointiest dpns.

the next pair i finished was a mystery sock design from march of last year. i actually knitted this pair twice (once each in 2 different colorways/yarns).  the pattern was later formally named Cadence.



i really love this pair! the yarn is knitpicks stroll tonal, in colorway "golden glow". the socks are mirror images of one another. a word of advice, ... this is not the pattern to stop part way and expect to be able to pick up and know where you are. it took me a lot of time to figure out where i was in the pattern. my ravelry page is here.

after the yellow socks, i next worked on my christmas socks. i had cast them on before christmas, thinking i would finish them for the holiday. i was optimistic. lol!



the yarn is a very basic craft store yarn ... red heart's "heart & sole" in the christmas colorway. the pattern is Spice Man, by Yarnissima. i've used this pattern many times, and it's still a favorite. i was determined to use every bit of yarn ... which i did (it's a toe up pattern). i look forward to wearing them as we come into the "sock season" (hey, it doesn't have to be christmas to wear green/red/white socks!).

the tough part with these socks was the endless 1x1 twisted rib legs. just take "twisted" out of the equation. 1x1 rib is bad enough (for a knitter that doesn't knit continental). BUT, the legs do stay up. so, rock on 1x1 ribbing!

this pair was my personal favorite for the august finishing season.



this was the perfect marriage of yarn + pattern. yarn: Lola Doodle's Classic Sock. pattern: Breaking Hearts Socks by Cristi H. Brockway (otherwise known as "turtlegirl" ... her blog is in my sidebar).

i purchased the yarn online from one of my SKA "friends". and Cristi, she's a local knitter that i've run into a couple of times at regional sheep & wool festivals.

i LOVE THESE SOCKS! really. here. let me show you how much ...







yes, i really do love these socks.

the next pair i finished was my second pair of Wanida (pattern by Cookie A).



the first time i knitted this pair, it was also with a variegated yarn, though more "tame". also, the pattern was fairly new in publication, and no errata had been printed yet, so i followed my notes i had written into my book.

this time, i used an old ball of Jitterbug. jitterbug is a heavy fingering. (ps. every time i write Jitterbug, i have to go back and correct because i keep typing jitter"but"). and this particular colorway did a fabulous job of striping.

this pattern is in my "book of favorites". it's a bit challenging, simple, sometimes mindless. my project page is here.

now, this is the oldest pair i finished. i started these in 2008. no worries, i might have some even older unfinished pairs.



the picture doesn't represent a finished pair. trust me, they're finished. it's just the only picture i've taken thus far is way crappy. i took the picture at the last minute, so i could post them and get credit for them in that particular august challenge. the really really bad finished picture is here, if you must see.

august is finishing month for me, thanks to my friend Christine (mapleweave on ravelry). she's my sock "sole" mate. we're both incredibly guilty of knitting sock orphans.

when i finished all these socks, my name went into a hat for a drawing. i had at least one chance for each pair i finished. but you know how the "odds" work ... even though i had at least 6 chances, there were many others that had only 1 chance.

though, i still won something. i won this lovely hank of yarn from Giant Creek Yarns.



i got to pick the colorway. i wanted a nice semi-solid, for either something mindless, or complex. it's really beautiful!

slacker

... yes i am. i am slack on posting, but not so much in the knitting. i have finished my june socks for ska. i did not start any july socks, as i'm getting "ready" for august (where i will finish as many pairs as possible).

of course, in order to finish so many pairs, i started another pair! however, i will post those later.




this pattern fell in the "under appreciated" catagory. it's called maylin. i ordered the yarn from a fellow raveler in germany. her etsy shop is here.




what i enjoyed about this pattern is the lace is on the front of the sock, with ribbing on the back. it kinda reminds me a bit of some of the patterns from nancy bush. also, for the first time in a long time, i knitted on size 0 needles. i know it doesn't sound like there's much of a difference between a 0 and a 1, but that .25mm is a HUGE difference. the knitting felt exceptionally slow.

socken progress

i picked up this project not too long ago, as it really does deserve to be finished. and now i'm thinking, do i really want to "finish" ?

since the photo was taken, i'm about to start the toe. i could finish today, easily. BUT, if i do, then i will have one less sock to "finish" for the august challenge of finishing pairs, as i did last year.

i'll have to think about it awhile yet. in the meantime, i have finished this other sock, and should start the mate.





this pattern is called "maylin" and is being knitted for this month's challenge of knitting an under appreciated sock pattern. what makes it under appreciated? there are 15 or fewer projects for it in ravelry.

i'm knitting on size 2 mm needles. i haven't knit socks on that size in a long time. i usually knit on 2.25 mm. 1/4 of a mm makes a HUGE difference!

2 more pairs

so, i did finish my socks! and of course, it's too warm to wear sock now. the pattern is "burning rings of fire".

and, i did buy a couple more hanks of this yarn at the fiberfest we had here.




i did pretty good at the fiberfest, and only got a wee bit of yarn. the two hanks above are the unplanned peacock studio's twisty sock.

and, i also got some more of the color changing cottons, and another hank of sock yarn (i'll have to get some pictures!).

since i finished the green socks, i cast on, and finished, another pair ...







the pattern is called "rivercat" and is available on knitty. the yarn is dream in color "smooshy".

and now, i'm scraping around for a sock to knit on, since i can't start another ska challenge sock until tomorrow. perhaps i should knit a 2nd sock for one of my orphans?

green is my favorite color

green has been my favorite color for ages. one year, for christmas, my niece gave me a bunch of green "things". things: a variety of soaps and lotions from bath & bodyworks. they were all green in color, but different scents. because, apparently the scent didn't matter as long as the item was the correct "color".

... i still laugh about that !

and, regarding the color, i like most greens. light green, mint green, lime, chartreuse, pine green, spruce, brackish, grass green, etc.

and this shade ... for the spring.



next weekend there will be a local fiberfest. it's part of something bigger, but i'll take my wee fiberfest!

one of my favorite vendors will be in attendance ... the unplanned peacock studio.

the above sock is knitted with their "twisty sock", a superwash 2ply merino. ♥ love ♥ !

this is the same yarn i used to knit my poppy socks last fall.



but, back to the green. the green socks are for skamay12. the challenge included knitting a pattern from the designer of the month, who is kirsten kapur. the pattern is called "burning rings of fire" and is a free ravelry download.

i'm being "good" and have actually started sock #2. and, i started something else too ...



... a pink sock  =)

 

squeee! garden slugs!

disclaimer: i did not crochet these, mom did.

these little fellas are crocheted with various shades of red heart yarn. seriously, red heart is "perfect" for this!



they love eating plants!


... and scouting out their next meal  =)
the pattern is called "crochet garden slugs" and is available on etsy.

monkeys strike again

when in doubt, i knit monkey socks. sometimes jaywalkers, and sometimes, monkeys. both patterns are the next best thing to mindless knitting, but make variegated or striped yarns more interesting.



i "won" this yarn last august, in a drawing, when i was completing as many pairs as possible. this yarn is a first for me, it's hazel knits artisan sock. it's kinda "beefy" like socks that rock.